Closure cap and pouring spout



March 19, 1968 .1.. BELCHER CLOSURE CAP AND POURING SPOUT Filed Dec. 15,1966 United States Patent Oflice Patented Mar. 19, 1968 3,373,909CLOSURE CAP AND POURING SPOUT Samuel L. Belcher, Toledo, Ohio, assignorto Owens- Illinois, Inc., a corporation of Ohio Filed Dec. 15, 1966,Ser. No. 601,979 2 Claims. (Cl. 222531) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Thisinvention is a dispensing-type of closure cap comprising a disk-like topor panel, at the periphery of which is a depending flared wall which isconnected at its lower margin to a coaxial cylindrical attaching skirtfor securing the cap to a container, the flared wall having a dispensingopening and pour-spout with the latter hinged to the cap at about thejuncture of the flared wall and skirt.

My invention is a novel closure cap and pouring spout combination havingfor an important object the provision of such combination wherein theseveral elements are molded as a unitary structure, thus simplifyingmanufacture, avoiding the expense of assembling separately fabricatedelements and consequently lowering the overall production cost.

Another object of my invention is the provision of an article of theabove character formed of a plastic material such as polyethylenewherein the spout comprises novel means to releasably hold it inposition to effectively close an associated discharge opening.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a novel closure capand pouring spout, the latter being of the directional pour type.

It is also an object of my invention to provide a pouring spout which isan integral part of a closure cap and is produced in its entiretyconcurrently with the initial molding of the closure cap.

Finally, it is an object of my invention to provide a closure cap,whether round, square or another contour, with a discharge opening andclose this opening with a pouring spout having floor portion hingedlyconnected to one wall of the opening.

Other objects will in part be apparent and in part pointed outhereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of my application:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a closure cap and pouring spoutembodying the preferred form of my invention.

FIG. 2 is a view like FIG. 1 but with the pouring spout extended.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plan view showing the form and position of thespout and closure cap at the conclusion of the molding operation.

FIG. 4 is a vertical central sectional view of the spout taken along theplane of line 44 of FIG. 3.

FIGS. 5-7 illustrate another form of my invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view with the spout closed.

FIG. 6 is a view like FIG. 5, but with the spout extended to pouringposition.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal sectional view showing thespout extended as in FIG. 6.

In the preferred form of my invention (FIGS. 1-4) the closure cap Ccomprises a panel 10 or top portion, a depending continuous side wall 11at the periphery of the panel and an attaching skirt 12 at the lowermargin of the side wall 11. As indicated heretofore, this closure cap,which preferably is formed of polyethylene, or some other suitableplastic material, may be of any desired contour and is not restricted tothe circular form shown. The attaching skirt 12 is intended to betelescoped over the neck or mouth-defining wall of a container (notshown) and secured thereto by heat sealing, or, if preferred, byscrew-threads, lugs, or other conventional means. When the closure capis in position to seal a container, only the attaching skirt physicallyencircles the container so that the entire depending wall 11, which maybe flared, or not, as desired, is in its entirety positioned immediatelyabove the rim of the container neck (not shown). The pouring spout anddischarge opening are directly associated with this wall 11.

A discharge or pouring opening 13 of generally rectangular form isprovided in the depending wall 11, such opening ideally being the sameheight as the wall 11. The pouring spout is also a closure for thedischarge opening 13 and comprises a floor portion 14 of the samecontour and dimensions as the discharge opening. Thus, in addition tofunctioning as the spout floor, or bottom, it also is an effectiveclosure which seals the opening 13 against moisture entry into contactwith the product. This spout floor is hinged to the lower wall 15 of thedischarge opening 13 by a relatively thin web 16. A pair of opposed sidewalls 17 rise from the longitudinal side margins of the floor, eachbeing generally triangular in outline and possessing a substantialdegree of resilience and flexibility. These side walls 17, which,together with the floor 14, are

formed in a single simple molding operation with the closure cap C,normally diverge from the floor 14 about as indicated in FIG. 3. As aconsequence initial closing of the discharge opening from thefabricating relationship of the elements (FIG. 4) necessitates pinchingor pressing the side walls 17 toward each other about as indicated indotted lines in FIG. 3 so that they may enter the discharge opening 13.As the walls enter the opening side pressure on them is terminated andupon final placement of the floor 14 to seal the discharge opening thewalls again spread apart resulting in holding engagement between thoseportions of the walls 17 nearest the floor and the interior of thedepending wall along the vertical side walls of the opening. In thismanner the side walls effectively hold the floor 14 in position to sealthe opening 13. Extension of the spout to the FIG. 2 position isfacilitated through providing a finger accommodating depression 18 inthe panel 10 (FIGS. 1-3) adjacent the spout. To limit the extent ofspout opening, each sidewall 17 is provided with a finger 19, which,when the spout is sufiiciently extended, abuts the interior of thedepending wall 11 adjacent the side walls of the dischargeopening 13,functioning as a stop.

In FIGS. 5-7 there is shown an adaptation of my invention wherein it isplaced entirely in the panel 20 of the closure cap. As in the describedform, this spout, comprising the floor 21 and opposed side walls 22, ishinged to the closure cap by means of a web 23 and these walls must bepressed toward each other, as in the preferred form, to permit theirentry into the top discharge-opening 24 and consequent closing of thelatter. Fingers 25 on the side walls serve to limit the extent to whichthe spout projects for pouring purposes. The depression 26 in the panel20 facilitates finger manipulation of the spout. The skirt portion 27 onthe closure cap, as in the preferred form may utilize any of the widelyemployed devices for securing it to a container,

Modifications may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of theappended claims.

I claim:

1. In a one-piece molded plastic closure cap and pouring spout, a panelportion, an annular depending flared wall at the panel periphery, saidclosure cap having a dis charge opening, a combined pouring spout andclosure for the opening comprising a floor portion of the same contouras the opening and dimensioned to fit into and close the latter, therebeing a Wall-section of reduced thickness hinging one margin of thefloor to a Wall of the opening, a pair of opposed side-walls formedintegral with side margins of the floor for projection through theopening into the closure cap incident to positioning the floor to closesaid opening, and means operable in response to full insertion of theWalls into said opening for securely yet releasably holding said floorin the discharge opening, there being a continuous cylindrical attachingskirt at the lower margin of and coaxial with said depending Wall andthe discharge opening being in said depending Wall with said hinge pointfor the floor being substantially at the juncture of the flared wall andcylindrical skirt.

2. In a onepiece molded plastic closure cap and pourclosure cap panelbeing depressed in a restricted area to provide a radial channel openingthrough the panel periphery facilitating access to an edge of the floorportion of the spout.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,934,695 11/1933 Brucker 222-5313,036,746 5/1962 Hagen 22248O 3,048,309 8/1962 Albiani 222531 X3,236,421 2/1966 Glazier 222402.13 3,266,681 8/1966 Rabb 222531 ROBERTB. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

ing spout as defined in claim 11, the exterior surface of the 15 KENNETHN- LEIMER, Examiner.

